Make that quite a few flies. But no one is complaining or swatting in the classroom at Walton Elementary School on the city's near West Side.

These flies are supposed to be here. They're the artful contributions of this group of Boys and Girls Club students for the 28th annual Parade the Circle in University Circle at noon this Saturday.

This group of elementary school students is bringing to life the "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" story, under the direction of artist Debbie Apple-Presser.

The Walton Avenue group is one of 11 outreach groups -- overseen by eight artists -- the Cleveland Museum of Art is partnering with this year for the colorful event that attracts 80,000-plus to Wade Oval. More than 70 groups total will be participating in the parade. Organizers expect the number of marchers to be 1,200 to 1,500.

In addition to the outreach artists, 40 national and international artists are also participating in this year's parade, which is themed "Collage." The list includes talent from Connecticut, Trinidad and Tobago, and France. But some of the most creative contributors might be those on Walton Avenue. The children's costumes, made of papier-mache, cloth, glitter, plastic gems and recycled materials, are a whimsical delight that capture the spirit of the fairy tale.

"The best part was making the spoon," jokes 7-year-old Kineshy Arroyo of the silvery cardboard fly swatters the group also made. She uses it to playfully swat at her mother, Natasha Arroyo, who will be playing the role of the Old Lady and is the group's art teacher.

"This year's story is very funny," says Dalma Cintron, 9.

"I like how we get to experiment with how to make it," says Tyler Fuller, 10. "And I like walking on the day of the parade."

Parade the Circle, which began as a community-outreach experiment by the art museum in 1990 to mark its 75th anniversary (in 1991), has grown to become one of Cleveland's biggest annual events.

The first year featured a few hundred observers. The last few years have drawn around 80,000 parade watchers to be awed by the floats and puppets and dancers and stilt walkers and parading artworks.

Working with outreach groups in addition to professional artists is one way the museum shows its community commitment. These 11 outreach groups are just a small portion of the community groups, national and regional artists, and 1,000-plus participants who partake in Parade each year.

"They've been working so hard on their costumes," says Apple-Presser. "They're doing it all themselves." She presented the concept to the group, one of three Boys and Girls Clubs groups participating, but they came up with the design themselves, and are each making their own costumes. Cleveland designer Denajua also helped out with the fly costumes.

"It was really fun, we all had a very good time," she says.

"Making the bug eyes was great, the best part," enthused Tilor George, 8. "You get to be a bug!"

For Apple-Presser, who is in her 19th year working with Parade the Circle groups, every year brings new ideas and creativity on the part of the young participants. The results are always impressive.

"I tell the kids, this is a day they will never forget," says Apple-Presser. "This is going to be a treat."

Bike parking: Free, secure bicycle parking at the corner of East Boulevard and Bellflower Road is provided by the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op.

Car parking: Public parking is available at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland History Center, Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Magnolia Clubhouse.

Circle Village:Circle Village on Wade Oval will feature entertainment, kids' activities, and beer and food tents from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. University Circle institutions including the Cleveland History Center, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Orchestra and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland will be participating.